One of the more significant improvements during recent years has been the germinator described in Danish patent application No. 1733/81. This germinator comprises a plastic cover above a hygroscopic textile in contact with a seed, a seedling or a plant cutting. Such germinators may be produced in coherent lengths and are intended for being transplanted on the permanent habitat after a controlled germination and/or growth of the plant material in a moist layer of sand after separation from the main length by cutting or tearing off. Then the plastic cover protects the roots of the plant against drying out during the period immediately following transplantation, and the roots of the plants and the plastic covers are upon the transplantation in contact with a constantly moist layer of soil, whereby a maximum of completely developed plants is obtained. In using said germinator, which is industrially producable, it is possible to ensure a high percentage of plants capable of surviving on the habitat.
It is furthermore known from GB-PS No. 1,041,133 to have a seed pack in which the seeds are encapsulated in a similar manner in pockets in a tape formed by localized adherence of two layers of material such as for instance paper, textiles, plastic film or the like materials, and where the tape is rolled up or folded into a pack. The material is stated to possess a strength sufficient for keeping together the pack after having been completely moistened and during the germination and development of the seeds in the pack into plants ready for transplantation. Subsequently, the pack is opened and the plants are removed and transplanted one by one into the soil or a similar growth medium. It is furthermore known that the layers of material are of such a nature that the roots of the plants do not stick thereto so that the plants can be removed from the tape without damaging said roots.